Answers to the questions everyone has.

No. There is no federal registry of service animals or ESAs — any company that implies otherwise is being dishonest. NSAR is a private company that has been helping handlers since 1995. What matters under federal law is your LETTER from a licensed therapist, not any registration. For the full breakdown, see Is NSAR legitimate?

Registration alone does not. No private registry — ours, or anyone else's — grants legal status. Legal protection comes from (1) the ADA for trained service dogs in public spaces, (2) the Fair Housing Act for assistance animals in housing — though as of 2026 HUD enforces this only for trained service animals, so untrained-ESA housing protection now depends largely on state law, and (3) a valid letter from a licensed therapist where one is required. A registration kit is optional identification that makes day-to-day interactions easier.

Every NSAR therapist holds an active state license that anyone can independently verify in their state's public license registry. Start at our therapist directory — each card lists the state license number and the state board where you can look it up.

We rebuilt the site in 2026 to modernize the therapist workflow, tighten security around patient information, and make it easier to verify the people signing your letter. Same business, same tax ID, same team — new software.

1. Take the 2-minute qualifier quiz to see which letter (if any) fits your situation. 2. Pick your ESA letter or PSD letter and check out. 3. Complete the clinical intake (medical history, screening questions, a short interview). 4. A licensed therapist in your state individually reviews your completed intake. 5. If you qualify, the therapist signs your letter; you download the PDF from your account.

Turnaround depends on therapist availability in your state and any state-specific requirements. California, for example, requires a 30-day patient-provider relationship before a letter is valid under AB 468 — there's no shortcut around that. For most states, expect review in one business day or less after completing intake.

Never automated. A licensed therapist in your state personally reviews your completed clinical intake and applies individual clinical judgment — they only sign a letter if your situation meets the criteria. We're not a rubber-stamp 'letter mill.' Some states add their own requirements (for example, California requires a 30-day client–provider relationship under AB 468), and we honor those where they apply. Ready to start? Take the 2-minute qualifier quiz, or go straight to your ESA letter or PSD letter.

If your therapist is licensed in your state and has issued a current letter after a genuine evaluation, that letter already serves as your supporting documentation — you don't need anything else from us. NSAR is for people who don't have an existing therapist relationship or whose therapist doesn't write these letters.

No one can guarantee that — not NSAR, and not the therapist. A landlord runs their own private business, and as of HUD's 2026 enforcement change there is less federal pressure to accommodate an untrained ESA. The letter is supporting documentation: it establishes a disability and supports a reasonable-accommodation request, which aids enforcement of your rights — it does not force a landlord to do anything. Trained service animals remain federally protected, and many states still protect ESAs independently. See your rights and laws by state.

Generally no — the 2021 DOT final rule removed blanket cabin access for emotional-support animals on US carriers. Airlines can (and most do) now treat ESAs as pets. Trained psychiatric service dogs are still protected under the ACAA. If airline travel is your priority, a PSD letter — if you qualify — is the relevant path, not an ESA letter.

No. The ADA covers trained service dogs in public accommodations — emotional support animals are not service animals under the ADA. Businesses may ask you to leave if you bring an ESA.

Most states follow federal FHA. A handful — California, Florida, Illinois, Washington, and others — have additional requirements. Check your state at rights/states.

Our therapists give an honest clinical determination — they're not incentivized to approve everyone. If you're not a good fit, they'll tell you directly in the review, with specific reasoning. You'll receive a full automatic refund — you don't need to ask. The refund lands on the card you used at checkout within 5–10 business days.

Yes — any time before the therapist issues a diagnosis. After the letter is signed (you qualified), the work is done and the purchase is non-refundable, except for therapist error or a service failure on our end. See the full /refunds page for the policy on letters, physical goods, and kits.

ESA letters are typically valid for 12 months from the date they're signed. Landlords may ask for a current letter, so most handlers renew annually. We'll email you ahead of your expiration date.

Letters are sold as one-time purchases. If you prefer auto-renewal, we'll offer it as an option — never as a default. You won't see charges you didn't approve.

Not directly — letters are a flat-fee service, not a reimbursable medical visit. Some patients submit our invoice to HSA/FSA; check with your plan administrator.

Only the therapist assigned to review your case, and NSAR staff who need to operate the service (support requests, compliance audits). Your intake is encrypted at rest; every access is audit-logged.

Yes. NSAR operates as a Business Associate handling Protected Health Information. We have signed Business Associate Agreements with every vendor that touches PHI (database, storage, email, error tracking). Our clinicians are Covered Entities under HIPAA.

No. Your landlord only sees the final letter, which states that you have a qualifying disability and that the animal ameliorates symptoms — it does not disclose your diagnosis or medical details. Landlords cannot legally require medical records.

No. The ADA does not require you to register, certify, or get an ID for a service dog. As the Department of Justice puts it, certification or registration documents sold online "do not convey any rights under the ADA." What legally makes a dog a service dog is that it is individually trained to perform tasks for a disability — not any registration. A registration kit is optional identification, not a legal requirement.

No. There is no federal or state registry of service animals or emotional support animals, and no government agency issues official certificates. Any site claiming to be "the official ADA registry" is wrong. Private registries — including NSAR — offer optional identification only. See our full answer: Is NSAR legitimate?

A legitimate registry is a real, lawfully-operating business that provides voluntary identification and support — it simply is not a government agency (none are). Judge any provider by whether it is transparent about what registration is and isn't, uses clinicians whose state license you can verify, has real independent reviews, and offers a refund. That's how we operate — here's the honest breakdown.

It's entirely optional. Many handlers register for convenience — a wallet ID and a public profile that de-escalate everyday questions from businesses, landlords, and travel staff — even though registration grants no legal rights. If what you need is a legal document, that's the clinician's letter, not a registration.

No. There is no ESA registry requirement anywhere. What actually supports an ESA in housing is a letter from a clinician licensed in your state — not registration, a certificate, or an ID card. Those products are optional.

A real ESA letter is legitimate and valid when it is written by a mental-health professional licensed in your state after a genuine, individualized evaluation. That letter is the document the Fair Housing Act and state law recognize for housing. What is not legitimate is an "instant," questionnaire-only letter issued with no real clinical review — that is the letter-mill model a landlord can reject.

Only a mental-health professional licensed in your state — a psychologist, psychiatrist, licensed clinical social worker, licensed professional counselor, or marriage and family therapist. A website with no licensed provider behind it cannot issue a valid letter. Your own therapist can write one if they're willing; NSAR is for people who don't have a therapist relationship or whose therapist doesn't write these letters. Meet our clinicians.

Legitimate ESA letters generally run about $99–$199, because a licensed clinician has to actually evaluate you. Be skeptical of "free ESA letter" offers — a valid letter requires that real evaluation. See NSAR's current pricing on the ESA letter page.

An ESA letter typically remains valid for about 12 months. Many landlords ask for a letter dated within the last year, so annual renewal is common.

Sometimes. A housing provider may deny an assistance-animal request when there is no documented disability-related need, when the specific animal poses a direct threat or would cause substantial property damage, or under narrow exemptions (for example, some owner-occupied buildings with four or fewer units). A landlord cannot charge a pet fee or deposit for a valid ESA accommodation. Note that as of 2026, HUD enforces Fair Housing accommodation primarily for trained service animals, so ESA housing protection increasingly depends on your state's law.

No. Since the 2021 U.S. Department of Transportation rule, airlines are no longer required to accommodate emotional support animals — they are treated as pets. To fly with your animal in the cabin, you need a trained psychiatric service dog and the airline's DOT Service Animal Air Transportation Form.

A PSD letter is documentation from a clinician licensed in your state confirming that you have a psychiatric disability for which a service dog is appropriate. Note that the letter supports the need — but what makes the dog a service dog under the ADA is that it is individually trained to perform tasks. See the PSD letter page.

An emotional support animal helps by its presence and needs no task training; it is protected in housing under the Fair Housing Act and state law. A psychiatric service dog is individually trained to perform specific tasks for a psychiatric disability, is covered by the ADA in public places, and can fly. The line between them is trained task work — that is what turns an ESA into a PSD.

No. The ADA requires no registration, certification, or ID for any service dog, including a psychiatric service dog. What is required is the trained task work — and, for the supporting letter, a licensed clinician's evaluation. Registration and ID products are optional.

Yes. Under the 2021 DOT rule, airlines accommodate trained service dogs — including psychiatric service dogs — in the cabin at no charge when you submit the DOT Service Animal Air Transportation Form. (Emotional support animals are no longer covered for air travel.)

Yes — that's the defining requirement. The dog must be individually trained to perform tasks that mitigate your disability, such as deep pressure therapy during anxiety, interrupting a panic episode, or grounding during dissociation. The ADA lets you train the dog yourself — no professional program is required. See how to train service-dog tasks.